"Hot Topic Lunch was conceived by and is led by students."

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“At Shasta Middle, the site where I do most of my work for the health center, a group called Hot Topic Lunch was conceived by and is led by students. It is by far and away my favorite part of the week because kids show up by choice and want to talk. Hot Topic Lunch was born to provide a place and time at school for seventh graders to talk without being judged about things that are important to them in an open-group setting on a consistent basis.

Its creator, a student named Mariah, approached both myself and the school counselor, about a gap she saw in support for students around social climate. She was upset by what she was seeing in the breezeways, bathrooms, and even classrooms regarding issues like bullying and self-harm. Having been part of a girls’ empowerment group, which included discussions about things like relational aggression, ally-building skills, self-care, and resiliency, she thought these skills could be shared with the wider student population. And so, through collaboration, a plan was hatched to create Hot Topic Lunch.”